Oklahoma gas pipeline explodes, shooting flames 500 feet into the air

A gas pipeline exploded in an Oklahoma town near the Texas border overnight, creating a glow that could "be seen for miles," local fire officials said Wednesday. 

Photos and videos of the explosion posted on social media show flames shooting high into the air and illuminating an otherwise dark night sky with a red haze. The Elmwood Fire Department has not publicly provided details about the status of the pipeline, only saying overnight on Facebook that its crews responded to a "pipeline blow out." CBS News has reached out to the fire department for more information. 

Locals commented on the fire department's social media post that they could see the fire from miles away. 

"We are 36 miles away from the fire and we can see it," one person said, while another posted a photo of the fire's glow from roughly 25 miles away. 

The Booker Fire Department, which serves Booker, Texas, about 20 miles away from Elmwood, also responded to the fire. They posted videos of the explosion, saying it was a gas line. 

"Crews from several departments are staged at a safe distance until the gas can be turned off," Booker Fire said on one of the videos. "...The flames are estimated to reach over 500 feet high."

The cause of the pipeline explosion has not been announced. 

In:
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• gas explosion
• Explosion

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.